A Moment to be Real
by Avril Lambert
Summary: After graduating from the Academy, Jim gets a map and letter from Silver promising Jim the treasure he's been yearning for. Sailing under Gov. Ratcliffe, Jim goes to the new world in search of the treasure. But he's not the only one looking for something in the new world: Captain John Smith wants more than treasure, he just doesn't know exactly what he's looking for. Disney Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: For the sake of this story, Treasure Planet took place on Earth, not in space. And all the characters from the movie were human, not alien.**

* * *

Jim Hawkins turned eighteen a week after he graduated from the Interstellar Academy. He spent the day alone. He often spent his days alone. Being accepted into the Interstellar Academy was a huge honor and only the best sailors were accepted. Stiff-shirted, stuffed-pants sailors who looked down at Jim.

After finding Treasure Island and saving the crew of the RLS Legacy, his Captain, Amelia, recommended him to the Academy and he was accepted almost immediately. Evidently, Captain Amelia had a lot of pull with the Academy. At first, Jim was thrilled at the chance to start over. He had just been a naïve fifteen-year-old boy who thought everything would be different. Maybe he would make his mom proud of him again.

And perhaps, if he was successful enough, his dad would even come back.

But for the last three years all Jim could think about was John Silver. Just before they returned home, Jim let John Silver go and Silver gave him an offer to go with him and live the life of a pirate. Jim had turned him down for the chance to start a new, respectable life. Now, he wished he had taken him up on his offer. In his life, Silver was the only man who came close to being a father to him. His dad had been there for a short while when Jim was a kid, but he spent most days at sea. One day he just never came back.

But in the last three years Jim hasn't heard a word from Silver. He couldn't help thinking he was more like his dad than he thought. Sure, Silver had been there for him while they were sailing and even gave up his treasure to save Jim's life. But, just like his dad, he left and Jim was now alone.

No one to spend his birthday with.

Of course he could have seen his mom and Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia. But, if he had to endure one more conversation that started with "Congratulations on graduating from the Interstellar Academy; what are you going to do now?", he'd scream.

He no longer cared about anyone's approval. Why should he? It was his life, not theirs. If he wanted to be a pirate instead of a sailor in the Navy, then he will be. He didn't need Silver. He could do this on his own. He's spent the last three years on his own, why change things now?

Jim walked over to his balcony and leaned against the railing. From there he could see the London docks and the sea. The docks were crowded with majestic looking merchant and naval ships. Though it was night, Jim could make out the white sails and colorful flags. Each colored flag meant something and he knew all the meanings. He knew it all. Jim graduated at the top of his class at the Academy and with his ranking he could walk onto any one of those ships and join the crew with no trouble. By this time tomorrow he could be sailing with the royal navy as much more than just a cabin boy.

Jim brought his almost forgotten cigarette to his lips and breathed in the smoke. The sound of the waves matched the beat of his heart and he knew he had to get back on a ship. Nothing else in the world knew his heart like the sea.

When a loud knock sounded on his apartment door, Jim considered ignoring it. Anyone coming to the door at ten o'clock at night couldn't possibly have anything to say that he wanted to hear. But, after the second knock, he figured: what the hell?

Jim took one last drag from his cigarette, then flicked it over his balcony railing before crossing his apartment and swinging open the door. A young messenger boy was standing in the hallway; he looked relieved to see Jim.

"I have a letter for Mr. Hawkins," the boy said, holding out an envelope.

Jim snatched it out of his hand. "It's Jim," he corrected. He pulled some money out of his pocket and stuffed it into the boy's hand before closing the door. One of the perks to graduating from the Academy is the obscene amount of money he received to get him started.

Jim sat down on couch and looked at the envelope. It had his name scrawled over the front, but that was all. On the back was a black wax seal imprinted with an X. There was no indication of who it was from. Jim frowned as he broke the seal and opened the envelope. Inside were two pieces of folded parchment paper. He unfolded the larger one first. A crooked smile slowly invaded his lips when he realized it was a map. A large red X was encircled on the east coast of America and beside it were coordinates. Jim set down the map and unfolded the smaller sheet of paper.

_Jimbo,  
I heard you graduated from the Academy. Didn't I tell you you have the makin's of greatness in you? I suppose now you'll be off to serve king and country in the royal navy. The Captain would be proud. But, if I know you, you want more. There is a ship set to depart from the London docks the day after your birthday which, if I'm not mistaken, is the day you'll get this. (Happy birthday, kid.)The ship will be under the command of Governor Ratcliffe. Give him the map; he's expecting you. On the map I've marked a place in the new world where there is said to be more gold than the king himself possesses. I'm confident on this journey you will find the treasure who've been yearning for. Take the helm and chart your own course._

The letter wasn't signed, but Jim knew it was from Silver. He refolded the letter and glanced down at the map. Would Silver be waiting for him in the new world? He had to be. He wouldn't pass up that much gold, not after losing Flint's Trove. If he got on this ship tomorrow and sailed to the new world to find this treasure Silver wrote about, then perhaps he'd find Silver, as well. Even though Silver left him and didn't contact him in three before tonight, Jim still couldn't help feeling the smallest inkling of hope that perhaps he'd see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

**4 months later…**

Sailing with Governor Ratcliffe was just as boring as Jim had predicted. So much so that he was entertaining the thought of just staying in the new world so he wouldn't have to sail back with him. In fact, about halfway through their four month journey, the ship hit a storm and a young man named Thomas had been washed overboard and Jim had briefly envied him. He didn't know what it was about being bored while sailing that made Jim think death would be better. Besides, he hoped when his time came he would die by drowning; he couldn't imagine a better death than being consumed by the thing he loved most.

"Land ho!"

"Great!" Jim muttered, shoving his bowl of gruel away from him. He pushed off his bench and followed the other crew members up to the deck. While the rest of the crew prepared the ship to dock, Jim and the captain, John Smith, got a small crew together to take one of the lifeboats to shore.

As Jim paddled the small boat, he took in the sight around him. It was nothing like London. As far as he could see, the land was covered in tall, lush trees and mountains so tall the peaks were hidden in the clouds. They rowed through a thin fog of mist and a chill crept up Jim's spine. Despite the beauty of the land, the threat of natives made the area seem ominous. Captain Smith stood on the bow of the small boat, tense as he scanned the shore. They saw no one, but that didn't mean they were alone.

Jim remembered when he was young and his father would leave, his mother would always worry about and his father would say, "I always assume everything is a trap, so I'm always prepared."

As the boat pulled up to the shore, Jim's eyes wandered over the trees, wondering if John Silver was hiding somewhere among them, waiting for him. He then cursed himself for having false hope. Captain Smith stepped down from the boat and walked through the trees as if he had forgotten the men who had come with him. While Ben, Lon and Thomas pulled the ship ashore, Jim took it upon himself to explore the area. He had a rifle strapped to his back, but he didn't bother pulling it out; he had no intention of shooting anyone.

Jim approached a nearby tree and begun climbing it. When he reached the top, the tree split off into a V-shape. Jim stood on the thick branch that jutted out and took in the panoramic view. All he could see were trees; even the mountains were dotted with trees. And the trees were so tall, he couldn't see anything below them, including the ship.

"It's surreal, isn't?"

Startled at the sudden voice, Jim turned around. Captain Smith was crouching on a small stone ledge that stretched from a viney bush and reached to just a couple feet from the tree.

"It is," Jim agreed.

Captain Smith studied him. "You're Hawkins, right? The one from the Academy with the map?"

"You know about the gold? I was under the impression that Governor Ratcliff was keeping that to himself."

"I'm the captain; nothing happens on my ship without me knowing about it."

Jim slowly nodded. "So this is just a treasure hunt for you as well?"

Captain Smith stood up. "Isn't that why you joined the crew, Hawkins? To find treasure? Why would it be any different for anyone else on the ship?"

"That's not the only reason," Jim told him, not wanting to be thought of as shallow or money-hungry.

"Yes. I imagine the thrill of killing savages appealed to you the same as the other men."

Jim frowned, getting angry at the captain's assumptions about him. "Look, you don't know anything about me. I have my reasons for being here like everyone else and it's none of your business."

Jim wanted to get away from the captain. But his judgment was clouded by his anger and when he started to climb down from the tree, he miss-stepped and started to fall from the tree. John dropped to his stomach and reached over the ledge just in time to grab Jim's wrist. Jim exhaled and averted his eyes in embarrassment.

"Are you all right?" Captain Smith asked.

"I'm fine," Jim grumbled.

As John pulled him up, Jim's eyes were drawn to the muscles flexing in John's arm. The veins popped out of John's forearm, which induced an unanticipated tingle in Jim that he had only felt once before- and it certainly hadn't been for another man.

Even when Jim was safe on the ledge, Captain Smith let his hand linger on his wrist. The skin beneath the captain's touch burned as if fire had replaced his blood. Jim quickly pulled his arm back. He didn't know why the hell his body was reacting to the captain like this, but no way was he going to let it continue.

Captain Smith's steel blue eyes searched Jim's bondi blue eyes. "What are you searching for, Hawkins? You say it's not only the treasure, so what else is it?"

Jim tried to look away from John, but his eyes held his gaze in place. "I told you: it's none of your business."

"Very well." Captain Smith stood, then jumped the small gap to the tree. He started to climb down, but stopped and looked back at Jim. "He won't be here."

"Who?"

"John Silver. He's the one who gave you the map, right? And you're hoping he'll be here?" John replied. "I met Silver only once, but he left a lasting impression. I'd recognize one of his maps anywhere. He may have sent you here, Hawkins; but I know he won't be here."

"You know nothing," Jim spat.

The captain nodded knowingly. "You'll see, Hawkins. He won't show up. So, I suggest you take as much of the treasure as you can because it's the only thing you're gonna get out of this voyage."


End file.
